Three people died on the spot and three others injured when a bus crashed into a crowded bus stop in central Stockholm on Friday afternoon, Swedish police reported.
Emergency services, including police and ambulances, rushed to the scene, where rescue teams worked under the double-decker bus to assist people trapped beneath it.
Police confirmed that three individuals died at the scene, while three injured persons were taken to hospital.
The cause of the accident remains unknown, police spokesperson Nadya Norton told French news agency AFP. “The investigation will determine what happened. It’s too early to draw conclusions, and I won’t speculate,” Norton said.
The bus driver was taken into custody, and authorities have opened an investigation for involuntary manslaughter, following standard procedure.
“We need to question the driver before deciding whether he will be released or formally detained,” Norton added.
Police received the first emergency call reporting the crash at 3:23 pm local time (2:23 pm GMT).
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his condolences to the victims and their families in a message on X, formerly Twitter.
“I am deeply saddened by the news that several people lost their lives and were injured at a bus stop in central Stockholm. People who might have been heading home to reunite with loved ones or enjoy a quiet evening,” Kristersson wrote.
Witness Michelle Mac Key told the newspaper Expressen that she had just gotten off another bus nearby when the accident occurred.
“I crossed the street and saw the double-decker bus ploughing into a line of people waiting at the bus stop,” she said.
She described chaotic scenes with people screaming, injured victims lying on the ground, and others trying to help.
“There must have been more people under the bus,” said Mac Key, who is a nurse. Together with a doctor who was also present, she offered assistance to the police upon their arrival.
“They told us to stand near the bodies,” she recalled. “At first, I thought it was an exercise, maybe with dummies. It felt so unreal. Sheer chaos.”
